Christian, I personally thought those looked pretty good! Why don't you throw some weight on the bar, then we can really see your deficiencies. I think you are sandbagging a little at 40kg.

Get yourself up to a decent working weight my friend. I found for myself, 155lbs is a good working weight. Of course, my form isn't perfect every rep with this weight, but when I am properly warmed up I rarely miss at 155lbs. Therefore, it is a good working weight to practice form with.

I wish I could say that was less than 50% of my max. I'm sure with proper technique in place, I could definitely hit 80...The most I've snatched was 75, which, I may or may not be able to do that now. I know I can get 70. Between the videos taken in November and February, is when I've been trying to tackle this problem.

I often see the second pulls of experienced lifters, and how they really arch backwards sometimes. Is that a consequence of viciously extending a heavy weight? Or is it a conscious action? I haven't noticed if the same occurs with a lighter weight. I'm not sure why I have so much trouble keeping the bar close; perhaps a bad habit I'm trying so hard to break, because my elbows used to bend much less than now (if any bend at all!).

Makes sense. Seems like that extension is more exaggerated than I think. I've also been told to not rush the first pull; I never jerked it from the ground, but I think I have tried to move faster than I currently am (until I transition to that second pull), and that seems to help some. Just gotta keep hacking away at this!

I've also been told to not rush the first pull; I never jerked it from the ground, but I think I have tried to move faster than I currently am (until I transition to that second pull), and that seems to help some. Just gotta keep hacking away at this!

It's that added weight that I think may help with rushing through the first pull. When the weight it really light it is easy to miss the first pull. Add a little more weight and you have to get a good first pull to set up the second pull.

So like for me as an example, as I am working on my form/technique/timing with my above noted working weight, I almost am doing two separate exercises, a halting snatch deadlift followed by a mid-hang snatch. Of course, I try not to pause or anything in between and make the snatch one fluent motion as best I can. Then as the weight increases and I start working closer toward my one rep max it has to be one nice fluent motion.

Take whatever I say with a grain of salt though cause I am still a beginner at this like you. I have some snatch and C&J coaching vids a couple weeks back if you want to look.

The exaggerated arch works for some and not for others. But you are not extending on top at all. Fix the big problem first, get some second pull extension, JUMP with that weight, once you are doing that, then you can think about exaggerating it like some do, but dont worry about that till your getting way better knee/hip extension at the top of the lift.

Here is the thread where I tried to take everyone's advice from the above thread into consideration and fix my technique. There wasn't any response on this thread but I have the same thread on crossfit that got more response. http://www.cathletics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3680